There’s nothing like a virtual world to spend some time chatting with other players, making new friends and virtually living a second life (pun intended). While there are many such games available, it’s not easy to find the best examples of the genre. So, we list 10 virtual world / social games that just can’t be missed.

Here is our Top 10 Free to Play Virtual World/Social MMO Games:

10-SmallWorlds

SmallWorlds is a stylish virtual world presented in isometric fashion and with a competent character creation tool. There are plenty of activities to do, from creating our own rooms to shopping, playing many games, farming and even training pets. PvP arenas allow for some competitive fun and overall, SmallWorlds is a good alternative for those who don’t appreciate the pixel-art visuals of Habbo.

Moshi Monsters is a cute free-to-play game in the same line of Club Penguin. Players get to adopt a monster and play games to earn currency to buy accessories and furniture. There are just a few monsters to choose from and their customization is not that in-depth, but there’s a nice experience system that allows them to level up through playing mini-games.

Fantage is a 2D browser game aimed at kids that aims to place them in a Fantastic Age, as the name says. The cute chibi-like characters are one of its most appealing features, but there is a lot to do besides customizing your avatar. Players may take part in several mini-games such as racing or brick breaking and more activities, earning coins to unlock more clothes and furniture to decorate their homes.

ourWorld is a 2D browser-based virtual world experience with a few hundreds of mini-games and cartoon graphics. Each player has a room and hundreds of different pieces of furniture to decorate it with, but it’s the mini-games that are the main focus here, since there are some real jewels included here, such as Plants vs. Zombies and Zuma.

Woozworld features colorful cartoon characters in an isometric world that is aimed at kids aged 8-14. The appealing visuals contributed to attract a large playerbase and the usual creation and customization options for both characters and rooms ensure that players will have a lot to see and do. It’s also a game that seems to appeal the most to female players.

Smeet is a virtual world developed by a German studio and released in 2007. However, it was only made available for US players in 2010. Smeet offers some games and quizzes besides the usual social features and even managed to attract the attention of brands such as Endemol or Universal Music, resulting in partnerships that add some more entertainment to the game.

With more than 10 years behind it, Habbo is one of the first and most popular virtual worlds. The unique look with pixel art graphics make it a special game, but it’s the features that make it stand out from the competition. The customizable characters and rooms add some depth to what is basically another pretty chat room, but it’s hard to go wrong knowing that there are usually 10 million unique visitors per month.

A famous virtual world for the younger players, Club Penguin is a name that still remains as one of the first choices for this genre. It’s a large community with cartoon visuals and a lot of mini-games, along with what is considered to be one of the safest virtual environments for kids. Obviously, only a paid membership will unlock most content, such as clothes and furniture.

IMVU is more of a social experience than a game, being famous for the enormous playerbase and the ability to create and customize avatars and rooms. This is a virtual chatroom with a massive amount of clothes and accessories, most of them designed by players themselves. As a time sink it’s a great choice, as long as you’re not expecting any proper gameplay.

Second Life needs no introduction. It’s a huge 3D virtual world where players may interact with each other in very different ways, even to the point where some actually make a living out of it. It was referenced in almost every media at one point and many celebrities and companies used it for personal or professional purposes. More dedicated players may create their own clothes and objects, among many other things, and create their own business. If you dream it, then it’s possible to do it in Second Life.

Remember to express your opinion in the comments, if there are other games that deserve to feature here. This top will be regularly updated with the best free to play Virtual World/Social MMO games, so check back often!